What are Num Noms? That was the first question that most people ask when they hear the name – something that happened repeatedly when The Rock Daughters and I did a live unboxing of MGA Entertainment’s latest collectible toy line via Periscope. Officially launched on December 1, 2015 at Toys “R” Us (though we did see some hitting the shelves locally a bit early), the collectible characters are scented, pretend food that combines multiple play patterns into something new. Scented like Strawberry Shortcake… tiny collectibles like Shopkins… motorized like Hexbugs… in their own colorful world like Lalaloopsy. It’s not hard to have all of those elements (and more) hit the senses, but out of the gate Num Noms are a kid-magnet, the latest creation from MGA Entertainment, makers of Project Mc2, Moxie Girls, Bratz and Lalaloopsy.
The folks at MGA sent us a complete assortment of Series 1 Num Noms on release date, but with some unexpected travel in the mix for me, we’re getting to them a little later than I’d hoped. What I can tell you is that if the initial reaction from the girls is any indication, Num Noms are about to be a HUGE breakout hit – and I say that after watching them play with, bicker and fight over these for nearly six hours straight.
So what are Num Noms? The official description is that “Nums are the outer, soft, squishy, hollow characters that nest on top of Noms. Noms are the inner, hard-shelled characters that are either motorized to scoot around, or filled with flavored lip gloss.” Their world looks like it could take place within your kitchen cabinets or pantry – a place where food is up for fun, and “a recipe for mischief.” Each Num and Nom is named (here’s a handy checklist) and has a specific profile. Kids can craft their own “recipes” by mixing and matching their Num Noms.
It’s long, but this 26-minute Unboxing Shows all of Series 1 + how they work!
The centerpiece of the Num Noms line right now is the Go-Go Cafe Playset, a place for the motorized Noms (which run via vibration similar to a Hexbug) to move down the slide, around the teeter totter saucer, in the donut wheel or through the “shower” (sparkly streamers) at the top. It’s all so simple, yet very appealing to kids – and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing some adult collectors of these as well.
Available in themed multipacks or with lip gloss assortments available in yogurt container-style blind boxes, Num Noms’ initial splash can be summed-up by what Addie said just before bed tonight: “I’m gonna ask Santa for more Num Noms for Christmas.” What she doesn’t know is that Series 2 won’t be out that soon…
Available at Toys “R” Us, with tons of fun to be found at NumNoms.com
